Steph Curry takes over in unreal fourth quarter to lead USA basketball to fifth straight gold medal

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Team USA completed their drive for five.

And it was Steph Curry who drove them.

First, Curry told France good night.

Then, he secured Team USA’s golden night, shooting them to a 98-87 win over France in the Olympic men’s basketball final.

It marked the U.S. men’s 17th Olympic gold, including five in a row.

And stars Curry, Kevin Durant and LeBron James led the way in this one Saturday at Accor Arena in Paris, making big plays in the endgame to secure the title.

Curry had 24 points, five assists and eight 3-pointers.

After Team USA had watched Victor Wembanyama slice a double-digit lead to just three, Curry hit four 3s in the final 2:48, laying his head in his hands after the last one in his typical celebration of having put the game to bed.

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“At that point, your mind goes blank. You don’t really care about the setting or the scenario or anything. It’s just a shot,” Curry said. “Thankfully, that one went in. … It’s just rhythm and flow and confidence and that was it.”

James had 14 points, 10 assists and six rebounds, play-making early and being named Olympics MVP after averaging 14.2 points, a team-high-tying 8.2 rebounds and a team-best 10.2 assists.

He sported golden sneakers, and his all-around play ensured that’s what shade the U.S. medals ended up being.

Durant — who forced a trade from the Nets to Phoenix in 2023 — had 15 points, four assists and four rebounds.

He earned his record-breaking fourth gold medal, surpassing former Knicks star Carmelo Anthony — who was on hand — for the most by a men’s basketball player.

But when the going got tough, Team USA went to Curry.

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“I’ve seen that from Steph a few times, but it never gets old,” Team USA coach Steve Kerr said of his Warriors star. “It’s a global game with a lot of great players, but we still feel we have the greatest players.

“They were all so unselfish throughout this whole thing, through all the noise, all the pressure. We might be the only team in the world whose fans are ashamed of them if they get a silver medal, and that’s the pressure we face. But our players — and you saw Steph — they love the pressure. They appreciate this atmosphere, and they were fantastic.”

Especially their shooting.

Team USA hit 18-of-36 from 3-point range and held a talented French squad to just 9-of-30.

Team USA has won eight of the last nine golds and is 36-1 in the Olympics since 2004.

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That ‘one’ had come at the hands of France three years ago in the group stage in Tokyo.

But they beat the French in a finals rematch in 2021 and did it again Saturday.

This time around may have been tougher, solely because of Wembanyama, who had a game-high 26 points and seven rebounds and left the court in tears.

“Wembanyama was amazing tonight,” Kerr said. “He’s soon going to become one of the best in the world.”

Team USA trailed by a point in the second quarter before surging ahead with a 20-9 run.

They never trailed again, but when Wembanyama scored to cut it to 82-79 with 2:58 left, Curry responded just 10 seconds later.

Curry hit the next four buckets for Team USA, all from deep.

His first doubled the lead and steadied the ship.

He hit another with 1:53 to play, and his high arcing miracle shot over a Wembanyama double team with 35 seconds to play brought on his “good night” celebration.

“This was a test. France in their home building, you know they weren’t gonna quit. They threw everything at us,” Curry said in a TV interview. “We got a little out of sorts down the stretch, turned the ball over, taking quick shots. Obviously, it was a big shot up three to put us up six. That kind of settled everything. Then the rhythm, the avalanche came, and thankfully, the other 3 went in.”

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